Taiwanese man loses use of index finger after too much gaming

Remember when your parents told you not to sit too close to the TV or you would go blind? Well, while science – and optometrists – have dispelled that little lie, it looks like too much gaming could prove just as detrimental.

According to Malaysian news site, thestar, a Taiwanese man “lost” the use of his index finger after spending six-hours a day playing games on his touchscreen smartphone.

We imagine these had to be some serious gaming sessions because the site reports that the cartilage between the man’s fingers stiffened up to such a great degree that any attempt to bend or move the finger resulted in excruciating pain.

After five months of what we imagine to be slightly embarrassing physiotherapy, the dexterously-disabled gamer is having difficulty holding objects, writing letters (no doubt in response to those asking why in the world he played to the point of harming himself), and carrying out his daily chores, which more than likely must have gone neglected prior to this finger-gate fiasco anyway.

And while it might be commonly referred to as a smartphone, if this story has taught us anything it’s that evidently you don’t really need to be all that smart to use one.

All isn’t lost, though, and a lesson was certainly learned because the man has vowed to never again play another game on his smartphone — pointing the finger of blame (his good one) squarely at himself.